Expression and Clinical Significance of lnc RNA HOXA11-AS in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Objective To investigate the expression and clinical significance of long-chain non-coding RNA(lncRNA) HOXA11-AS in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Methods We included 106 patients with primary liver cancer. qRT-PCR was used to detect the expression of lncRNA HOXA11-AS in liver cancer tissues and adjacent normal tissues, and we analyzed its correlation with clinicopathological features and prognosis of the patients.

Results The expression of lncRNA HOXA11-AS in liver cancer tissues was significantly higher than that in adjacent normal tissues (2.97±0.81 vs. 0.83±0.22, P < 0.05); it was significantly different in the liver cancer tissues with different AJCC staging and lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05). The 3-year survival rate of the high lncRNA HOXA11-AS expression group was significantly lower than that of the low expression group (22.22% vs. 53.33%, P < 0.05). High lncRNA HOXA11-AS expression and AJCC staging were independent risk factors for the prognosis of primary liver cancer patients (P < 0.05).

Conclusion The expression of lncRNA HOXA11-AS in liver cancer tissues is upregulated. It may be involved in the occurrence and development of liver cancer and may become a new indicator for the prognosis evaluation of liver cancer patients.